Bohemian-style Pilsner brings a Motor City beer home

Stroh’s is back

One of Detroit's most iconic beverages is being brewed within city limits again.

Stroh's Bohemian-style Pilsner is being produced at Brew Detroit in Corktown, and it marks the first time Stroh's has been made in Detroit since 1985, when the company's brewery was still standing on Gratiot Avenue.

"I probably hear more stories about Stroh's from across the country ... than any other beer we brew," Dan McHugh, Pabst Brewing Co.'s chief marketing officer, said at a preview event held at Brew Detroit.

"We're brewing it in the town it deserves to be brewed in."

The new Stroh's beer is a "crisp, balanced pilsner with a floral aroma, subtle hop spice, and a rich, bready maltiness made from Saaz and Magnum hops and Vienna malt," according to brewmaster Greg Deuhs.

The pilsner became available Monday in 12-ounce bottles and from Michigan restaurants, bars, and retailers.

The beer is based on a classic Stroh's recipe that won accolades at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, according to the company.

Metro Times had an advance taste of the beer, and we found it highly drinkable, with a more complex, craft flavor than traditional Stroh's Lager. It paired nicely on a hot day with tacos from the El Guapo Grill food truck during the Brew Detroit preview.

The Stroh Brewery Co. — owned by Pabst since 1999 — is holding a contest beginning Aug. 26 and running through Sept. 6 that dovetails with the launch of the pilsner.

At 4 p.m. Friday, Stroh's is kicking off a "tapping toast" and asking beer drinkers to post their toast on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #StrohsBoho. Those who post their toasts to social media will enter a random selection contest with a first prize of a C-Type bike from Detroit Bikes.

Beer tours, Stroh's art, bohemian jewelry from the Peacock Room, kayak tours, Michigan Science Center tickets, T-shirts, and gift certificates are among the other prizes, according to Stroh's.

Pabst Brewing's McHugh says the new beer reconnects Stroh's with the city that it's indelibly linked with.

"We know how important it is to the history and culture of the community," McHugh says. "We put the heart back in the middle of the brand."